Table assembly with detachable legs



Patented Oct. 5, 1954 TABLE ASSEMBLY WITH DETACHABLE LEGS Philip D. Becker, Hingham, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 25, 1953, Serial No. 338,739

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to furniture assemblies, and has particular reference to the assembly of legs of tables and the like, and to fastening devices for use in such assemblies.

In the construction of tables and the like having a top portion with angularly intersecting depending side portions, the legs are ordinarily attached to the table top by means of dowels and glue, or by nuts and bolts with various types of retaining plates. However, neither method is entirely satisfactory, since it is desirable to ship such tables in the disassembled condition to be assembled by the purchaser. For this reason, it would be desirable to make the assembly operation as simple and easy as possible.

The object of the invention is to provide a table assembly in which the leg members are adapted to be assembled into engagement with the table top without the use of nuts and bolts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table assembly in which a fastening device disposed on the table leg is adapted to be resiliently insertable into engagement with a fastening device on the lower side of the table top.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a table assembly embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an inside corner of the table of Fig. 1 with a leg in position for assembly.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a table assembly which comprises a top portion I2 having intersecting side portions Hi and is depending therefrom, and a leg member l8 assembled therewith. The leg member l8 comprises a lower portion 20 and an assembly post 22 on the upper end thereof, which may be reduced-in size from the portion 20 and disposed off-center in relation thereto, providing a seat 24 on the upper end of the portion 20 for bearing against the depending side portions I l and I6 when the leg is assembled. The off-center position of the post 22 also permits the outer surfaces of the lower leg portion 20 to be disposed in a desired position in relation to the outer surfaces of the depending side portions M and I6.

To retain the leg in assembly with the table top, a first fastening device 26 is secured to the table top and a second fastening device 28 is assembled onto the post 22 of the leg.

The first fastening device 26 comprises a pair of angularly intersecting base portions 30 and 32 which are secured to the depending side portions I l and H5 at the inside corner formed thereby by means of screws or the like. The base portions 30 and 32 are provided with pairs of spaced retaining arms 34 and 34a and 36 and 36a respectively, which are relatively rigid. The arms 34 and 36a comprise portions 38 and 3311 respectively which extend substantially normal to the base 35] and are provided with free end portions 40 and Me which extend toward the other base 32 in spaced relation to the base 30.

The arms 36 and 36a have a similar construction, having portions 42 and 42a which extend substantially normal to the plane of the base 32, with free end portions M3 and Me which extend toward the plane of the base 30. In the preferred embodiment the portions 38a and 42a, of the lower arms of each pair are slightly longer than the corresponding portions 38 and 42 of the upper arms for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

The second fastener 28 is formed of resilient sheet metal and comprises a base portion 46 Which is secured to the post 22 and in the illustrated embodiment is provided with a longitudinal bend 48 to adapt the fastener to the square shape of the post. The opposite edges of the base A6 are curled back on themselves to form transversely rounded resilient portions 50 and 52 with free edges 54 and 56.

In the preferred embodiment, the sheet metal blank from which the base 46 is formed is slightly wider at the lower edge than at the upper edge, so that when the edges are curled back along a perpendicular line between the top and bottom of the base, the lower portion of the edges curl further back than the upper portion of the edges, so that the resulting free edges 54 and 5B are inclined generally from the upper end to the lower end toward the longitudinal bend 48. (See Fig. 3.)

To assemble the leg it onto the table top 12, the post 22 is inserted longitudinally into the corner formed by the intersecting sides I-4 and 5 so that the upper end of the curled resilient portions 50 and 52 are enclosed by the lower arms 34a and 36a.

The relative dimensions of the two fasteners 26 and 28 are such that the resilient curled portions 50 and 52 must be flexed toward their base 46 to permit them to be enclosed by the arms, and to facilitate entry of the curled portions between the arms, the upper corners 58 and 60 thereof are bent down to provide a lead-in when the leg is being assembled. Assembly is also assisted by the greater length of the portions 38a and 42a of the lower arms, and by the inclined free edges 54 and 56, so that the frictional engagement between the fasteners is less at the start of the assembly operation than it is when the fasteners are fully assembled.

When the post is forced further upwardly, until the seat 24 bears against the bottom of the depending side portions l4 and Hi, the resilient curled portions are also enclosed by the upper arms 34 and 36, and the free edges 54 and 56 abut the inside of the free end portions of the arms. The leg is thereafter retained in secure assembly in the inside corner of the table top.

The design of the illustrated fastener enables it to adapt itself to dimensional variations occurring in the forming of the upper end of the table leg and dimensional variations in the various portions of the fastener. This feature is imparted by the resiliency of the curled portions 50 and 52, and by the interaction between the tapered free edges 54 and 56 and the upper and lower arms, providing a wedging action as the leg is assembled.

The fastener assembly permits the table to be shipped in the disassembled condition yet may be easily assembled by the customer, since no tools are required for such assembly.

Although in the illustrated embodiment two retaining arms are provided on each base portion, it will be understood that more may be provided if desired.

Since certain other obvious changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. A fastener assembly for attaching a table leg to a table top of the type having angularly intersecting depending side portions, comprising a first fastener member having intersecting base portions for attachment to the intersecting side portions, each base portion having a retaining arm extending substantially outwardly from the plane thereof with a free end portion turned to extend toward the other base portion, said second fastener member comprising a base portion for attachment to the leg, opposite edges of which are curled back on the base forming longitudinally extending transversely rounded portions, said rounded portion being so spaced in relation to the spacing of the retaining arms on the first fastener member that said arms enclose said rounded portions to cause flexing thereof when the second fastener member is inserted into the first fastener member.

2. A table assembly comprising a table top having depending intersecting side portions forming inside corners, a first fastening member assembled into a corner comprising intersecting base portions attached to said intersecting side portions, a retaining arm extending from each base portion in spaced relation to the intersection thereof and having a free end portion extending toward the other base portion, a leg member assembled with the table top, said leg member having an upper end portion disposed in the corner of the table top and a second fastener member attached thereto and extending between said retaining arms of the first fastener, said second fastener having longitudinally extending edge portions curled back so as to be transversely flexible, and being enclosed and maintained in a flexed condition by said retaining arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 288,126 Shearman Nov. 6, 1883 946,423 Connaty Jan. 11, 1910 1,888,208 Ferguson Nov. 22, 1932 2,573,305 Bronstein Oct. 30, 

